A fine Second World War North Africa operations M.C. group of six awarded to Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class the Rev. W. R. Leadbeater, Royal Army Chaplains’ Department, who was decorated for his gallantry in the Mareth Line in March 1943, while attached to the 6th (Motor) Battalion, Grenadier Guards

Military Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1943’; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya (The Rev. W. R. Leadbeater, M.C., C.F. 4, R.A. Ch. D.), very fine or better (6) £2500-3000

M.C. London Gazette 19 August 1943. The original recommendation states:

‘During the attack on 16-17 March 1943, the Battalion to which this officer was attached as Chaplain suffered extremely heavy casualties in concentrated minefields. The Padre undertook the duty of collecting wounded both in darkness and daylight from the mined areas. He carried out his self-imposed task with complete disregard for his personal safety and with the utmost bravery, being undoubtedly responsible for the saving of many lives which otherwise must have been lost and mitigating the sufferings of the wounded.

Some days later the Reverend Leadbeater directed the removal of our dead from the minefields and again his inspiring example, energy and personality were largely responsible for the completion of this most dangerous and distasteful task. In proof of the thickness of the minefield it should be noted that some 720 mines were lifted in order to remove 69 bodies from the mined areas.’

Worral Reginald Leadbeater, who studied for the Church at Trinity College, Dublin, was Curate of St. John, Sligo 1936-39, prior to being appointed a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class.

Posted to the Middle East, he was attached to the 6th (Motor) Battalion, Grenadier Guards, in which capacity he won his M.C. on the Mareth Line in March 1943. Other than the statistics quoted in the recommendation for his award - namely 720 mines being lifted - a measure of the density of the minefields confronted by the Grenadiers is also reflected in the number of their casualties: 27 officers and 336 men killed, wounded or captured.

Appointed a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class in September 1948, Leadbeater also served in Palestine and Malaya (Medal & 2 clasps).